Whiting to share Air Space

Norfolk Area Aircraft to Use NOLF Choctaw

 FA-18 aircraft which normally use Navy Auxiliary Landing Field (NALF) Fentress in Virginia will be using Navy Outlying Landing Field (NOLF) Choctaw to meet their training requirements while NALF Fentress is temporarily closed.  The detachments will periodically train from Naval Air Station (NAS) Pensacola through late 2012.

NOLF Choctaw is one of NAS Whiting Field’s 13 outlying landing areas and is the only one capable of meeting the requirements for simulated aircraft carrier landings.  These landings are required for FA-18 pilots to maintain carrier proficiency. Small detachments of aircraft from various bases along the eastern seaboard will base out of NAS Pensacola for five to seven days.  This is expected to be limited to four to five detachments.

Aircraft use will be limited to no more than four to five FA-18s at NOLF Choctaw at any given time.  Training operations will include both day and night time evolutions.  Landing an aircraft on a carrier deck is one of the most challenging tasks in aviation.  It is an essential and perishable skill that requires constant upkeep and training to perform safely.

NALF Fentress is undergoing required runway maintenance and repairs which completely shut down the airfield through October 2012.  The temporary detachments will resume training at NALF Fentress when repairs are complete.

Due to the increased carrier landing operations at NOLF Choctaw, area residents will likely see and hear some increased activity. We are sensitive to community concerns associated with these changes. The Navy will mitigate the amount of noise where possible.

The first such detachment will operate at NOLF Choctaw from March 1 through March 10.